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and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in February 2023. She attended Kent State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism with minors in public relations and creative writing. She enjoys making and listening to music, reading, and spending time with her cats, Astrid and Marceline.

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Zelsuvmi is the first FDA-approved at-home treatment for molluscum contagiosum, now available for patients aged ≥1 via retail and mail-order pharmacies.

Zelsuvmi, First At-Home Prescription Gel for Molluscum Contagiosum, Launches in US

Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of dermatology and physician-scientist at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and 

Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, highlights how dupilumab transforms atopic dermatitis treatment in children, improving health outcomes and quality of life beyond skin symptoms.

Systemic Therapy for Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: A Growing Case for Early Intervention

Maddi Hebebrand is an associate editor of 

and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in May 2024. She attended Baldwin Wallace University, studying Media Production and Film, and received her Masters in Digital Media from Ohio University. When she's not writing, Maddi loves to read, attend concerts and spend time with her family. 

FDA enhances transparency by publishing over 200 Complete Response Letters, offering insights into drug approval processes and common deficiencies.

FDA Opens Access to Over 200 CRLs

A recent study reveals a significant link between alopecia areata severity and increased risk of atopic dermatitis, especially in adolescents.

Severe Alopecia Areata Linked to Higher Atopic Dermatitis Risk

Dermatology Times connects dermatology professionals with key skin disorder coverage, therapeutic strategies, clinical trial updates, and expert insights.

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A presentation from the 2021 virtual American Academy of Pediatrics Conference & Exhibition urges including examination of the scalp and nails during any skin exam.

Looking at the scalp and nails during a skin exam is key

Final Thoughts: The Importance of Comparative Studies in AD

Panelists offer concluding insights and emphasize the critical role of comparative studies in advancing atopic dermatitis treatment strategies.

clinical

Video Series

2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference

 in Nashville, Tennessee, Eli Lilly and Company presented new data from the phase 3b ADmirable trial (

lebrikizumab’s effectiveness and safety

 in adult and adolescent patients with pigmented skin and atopic dermatitis, as this population is typically underrepresented in clinical trials.

, Anabela Cardoso, MD, senior vice president of immunology medical affairs at Eli Lilly, discussed clinical decision-making around lebrikizumab’s mechanism and dosing flexibility, patient-centered considerations such as safety, convenience, and injection experience, the value of data sharing at focused meetings such RAD, and Lilly’s ongoing dermatology pipeline.

, Cardoso provided an overview of the ADmirable trial, key data points she would point out to clinicians, and the significance of the study focusing on patients with skin of color with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

Q: Regarding the high percentage of patients who achieved improvements in itch, pigmentation, and quality of life, how do you see lebrikizumab fitting into a clinician's treatment options?

: That’s a very important part, because when a clinician thinks about the [patient with] moderate to severe [disease], it means it's a patient who already had topical steroids or other topical therapies, and it's considered now still active and needs to move to another option.

There are several options, of course, and that's important—that there are different options for patients. For lebrikizumab, not just with this data, but the totality of the data, the fact that it targets IL-13, a very central cytokine of the disease, and proven not just mechanistically but in the clinical trials to impact the skin severity and also itch, it's a major component of a choice.

I think when a physician sees a patient, they need to think about that: “What do I want to treat and target?” And so, acting on these 2 components of the disease is important.

The bulk of data that we now have with lebrikizumab supports using it as monotherapy, which is very convenient for patients if they don't need to have the burden of the steroids. It supports the use in these different ranges of patients, which range from naïve to biologics, different skin tones, and patients who were already exposed to biologics.

Physicians can be reassured that for the patient in front of them, there’s a piece of data from the lebrikizumab clinical program that represents that patient.

The other most important choice when it comes to treating patients is the fact that after the first 16 weeks with every 2-week administration, a vast majority of patients can move into monthly dosing, which happened in this trial as well. When they move to monthly dosing, the vast majority maintain or continue to have improvement.

There's the convenience of the administration, and the convenience of going monthly to maintain the efficacy, and then that efficacy has been proven already in the 3-year data.

These data build on the fact that lebrikizumab can be an important option for patients who want to go into maintenance once a month after being cleared, and for a diverse type of population, including patients with different skin tones. I think that’s good news for physicians and patients—that this is another option for first-line therapy.

Q: You mentioned that 73% of patients were able to move to once-a-month dosing by week 16. How does that data point help clinicians understand maintenance schedules?

: I personally think that for patients, a lot of things matter. And for physicians, of course, the efficacy matters, the safety matters, but it also comes down to how the medicines adapt to patients who are active.

Atopic dermatitis affects women, men, students, people who need to go to school, people who need to go to work, or have kids to take care of—and there's already a burden of applying creams.

I believe that even if all things were equal, it’s important to discuss with the patients what they can expect from a certain medicine, and tell patients they can expect a more intensive regimen in the first 4 months, but then it can go to once a month. Think about it once a month, and hopefully they don’t think about it more during that period.

The safety profile has been very well characterized, so there are no boxed warnings or other big concerns. Also consider that it has already shown 3 years of data.

I think those are elements that matter for someone to start to predict, “What’s going to be my life once I’m on a biologic?”

The other factor is the device and the experience and the injection site pain, or existence of those. Lebrikizumab has shown very nice data in terms of providing a good experience and low injection site reactions. And I think those things matter, if I put myself in the shoes of a patient.

At Lilly, we try to, more now than in the past, to focus not just on the medicine, but also on the experience of the patient.

Q: In your opinion, what is the value of a disease-specific meeting such as RAD?

: I have attended RAD since the first time it was organized. I remember when it was established, the organizers wondered, “How many people will come? How successful will this be?”—because they decided to focus on a disease that, at that time, was not as widely spoken about as, for example, psoriasis.

I value this type of meeting because it has the top experts, and you also get an audience that is really interested in the disease. They go to the meeting because they treat atopic dermatitis patients. They want to know more. They get engaged in the novelties. And they want to establish this network of experts that can talk to each other and learn from that.

We at Lilly see it as a great place to bring novel data like this, because most of the audience will attend all the sessions and will learn from the sessions, because they are interested in the topic.

The EADV is great in a different way—you learn more general dermatology—but you also may miss an important session on atopic dermatitis because you want to go to another important session on psoriasis.

RAD provides cutting-edge news. I think there’s a future for these meetings, and as long as they exist, Lilly is going to continue to partner with them.

Q: What closing remarks would you share with clinicians?

: Today and in the future, more than ever, Lilly continues to be invested in bringing pipeline updates for dermatology.

Our pipeline exists, and we continue to evolve it—with, of course, lebrikizumab—but with our established medicines on psoriasis and alopecia areata. Our innovation continues to focus on biologics, but also on oral small molecules.

There’s a convenience aspect of small molecules that we want to explore—maybe even combination therapies for people who are more severe.

So, [there is] more to come from us in these areas, including atopic dermatitis.

Alexis A, Moiin A, Waibel J, et al. Efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in adult and adolescent patients with skin of color and moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: final 24-week results from the phase 3b, open-label ADmirable study. Presented at: 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference; June 6-7, 2025; Nashville, TN.

Lilly's Ebglyss (lebrikizumab-lbkz) single monthly maintenance injection achieved completely clear skin at 3 years in half of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. News release. Eli Lilly. March 7, 2025. Accessed July 1, 2025. 

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-ebglyssr-lebrikizumab-lbkz-single-monthly-maintenance

Anabela Cardoso, MD, reflects on specific data from the phase 3b ADmirable trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of lebrikizumab in patients with moderate to severe AD and pigmented skin. 

Q&A Part 2: Reviewing the Significance of Lebrikizumab for Patients With Skin of Color, With Anabela Cardoso, MD

Burnout continues to be a pressing concern within medical training programs, and recent global challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, have further highlighted its complex, context-dependent nature.

 A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 245 studies encompassing over 48,000 postgraduate medical trainees (interns and residents) across 59 countries has examined burnout through the lens of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) subscales: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA).

 For dermatology educators and clinicians responsible for shaping the next generation of providers, these findings offer both insight and caution.

Burnout Dimensions and Pandemic Influence

Burnout is a multidimensional syndrome defined by the 

 and MBI conceptualization as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment. The pooled data demonstrated that trainees across all specialties, including dermatology, deviated significantly from normative values on all 3 MBI dimensions:

 Elevated both pre- and during COVID-19 (gw = 0.205–0.262).

 Elevated, but interestingly lower during COVID-19 (gw = 0.430) compared with pre-COVID (gw = 0.611).

Substantially lower during COVID (gw = −0.626) than pre-COVID (gw = −0.348).

These findings, while nuanced, are particularly relevant for dermatology, a specialty that often balances high patient volumes, academic rigor, and cosmetic or procedural subspecialization, each with distinct demands and expectations.

Context emerged as a key moderator of burnout. Emergency medicine trainees experienced worsening burnout during COVID-19, likely due to their frontline role. Conversely, trainees in anesthesiology, psychiatry, and urology reported lower burnout levels during the pandemic, possibly due to altered workloads or shifting patient care responsibilities.

While dermatology-specific data were not detailed in the subgroup analysis, specialties with similar characteristics—such as psychiatry and pathology—tended to experience declines in personal accomplishment. These findings may resonate with dermatology trainees who experienced reduced procedural exposure or diminished mentorship opportunities during COVID-era disruptions.

Importantly, international variability was notable. For instance, Canadian trainees experienced less EE during the pandemic, while Saudi trainees reported significantly lower PA. German trainees demonstrated high PA overall. These trends underscore the influence of systemic, institutional, and cultural factors in moderating burnout—a key takeaway for medical training departments developing wellness initiatives.

Implications for Dermatology Clinicians and Educators

For dermatologists engaged in training residents and mentoring junior clinicians, this review highlights several actionable points:

 The sharp drop in PA among trainees during COVID suggests that this dimension may be more sensitive to disruption and less frequently addressed. Dermatology educators and mentors should actively foster trainee confidence, skill mastery, and a sense of clinical contribution.

 Interventions and evaluations should consider all 3 burnout domains. Limiting assessments to emotional exhaustion alone may obscure important areas for support, particularly PA, which is often underreported.

 Tailor wellness interventions to the realities of your setting. Factors such as training structure, clinical exposure, access to mentorship, and institutional culture play critical roles in burnout outcomes.

: Countries like Indonesia and Germany exhibited burnout resilience in different domains. Dermatology departments should investigate and adapt systemic supports—such as gratitude programs or structured mentorship—proven to bolster PA.

While the review offers robust insights, it has limitations. Most studies were cross-sectional, few assessed interns, and the exclusive use of the MBI limited data from alternative tools. Dermatology-specific burnout data were not analyzed independently, highlighting a gap that future specialty-specific research should address.

Only 28% of studies were longitudinal or interventional, a limitation for understanding burnout trajectories. Dermatology programs may benefit from local longitudinal assessments to track the impact of wellness initiatives over time.

Burnout remains a significant concern for medical trainees, including those in dermatology. This updated meta-analysis confirms elevated emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, along with a concerning drop in personal accomplishment during COVID-19. For dermatology clinicians, especially those involved in teaching and mentorship, these findings call for a more contextualized, multidimensional approach to burnout prevention and management. Tailoring interventions based on specialty-specific pressures and prioritizing personal accomplishment may help reduce the toll of burnout and support a more resilient dermatology workforce.

Seifman MA, Fuzzard SK, To H, Nestel D. COVID-19 impact on junior doctor education and training: a scoping review. 

2022;98(1160):466-476. doi:10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-139575

Prentice S, Dorstyn DS, Massy-Westropp N, Benson J, Elliott T. Burnout before and during COVID: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 698 trainees. 

 Published online June 29, 2025. doi:10.1111/medu.15760

Burnout in medical training programs remains a critical issue, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive review of 245 studies involving over 48,000 postgraduate trainees across 59 countries assessed burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) subscales: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Findings revealed significant deviations from normative values across all specialties, including dermatology. Contextual factors, such as specialty and geographic location, influenced burnout levels. Dermatology educators should prioritize personal accomplishment, utilize comprehensive burnout assessments, and tailor interventions to specific training environments to mitigate burnout's impact.

Medical trainees face heightened burnout, especially in dermatology, due to COVID-19's impact on emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment.

Burnout in Trainees Persists Despite Pandemic Lessons

Renata Block, DMSc, MMS, PA-C, interviews Andrew Baker, PA-C, MBA, to disuss his role as a sub-investigator in Castle Biosciences’ UTILISE study for cSCC.  

Derm Dispatch: Physician Assistants Advance Clinical Trial Research 

 episode hosted by Renata Block, DMSc, MMS, PA-C, Andrew Baker, PA-C, MBA, discussed his role as a sub-investigator in Castle Biosciences’ UTILISE study, marking his first opportunity in clinical research and a significant milestone for physician assistants (PAs) in dermatologic oncology.

Baker, who practices at DOCS Dermatology in Columbus, Ohio, discussed the importance of advancing individualized care for patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Given the high prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancers, particularly cSCC, and the small but serious subset of cases that metastasize, the need for enhanced risk stratification is critical.

The UTILISE trial, also known as the “Clinical Utility and Health Outcome Study” of the DecisionDx-SCC prognostic genetic expression profile test, is designed to evaluate how Castle Biosciences' gene expression profiling (GEP) test for cSCC impacts real-world clinical decision-making.

 Baker explained that the test has been commercially available for approximately 3 years and categorizes patients as low, moderate, or high risk based on tumor biology. The goal of the study is to assess how these GEP results influence management decisions before and after clinicians receive them, as well as to gather outcomes data from a broader patient registry.

“Shared decision-making is and should be a large part of what clinicians do. Whether a patient has a very low risk or very high risk, I believe that all of us have been asked by a patient, ‘Is this going to spread? Is this going to come back? Is this going to cause my demise?’ This is just another option in the clinician's toolbox to better be able to provide those answers and treat the patients,” Baker said.

Baker's involvement in the UTILISE study is not only professionally meaningful but also a look at the evolving role of PAs in research. He noted that while PAs are increasingly serving as principal investigators in oncology studies, their presence in dermatology trials remains limited. He hopes his participation will inspire other advanced practice providers to pursue research opportunities and engage industry in conversations about expanding investigator eligibility.

Baker credited his early career exposure at an academic cancer institute for sparking his interest in research and emphasized that clinicians don’t need prior trial experience to get started.

“One person that I think physician assistants should utilize is their medical science liaison. I think they're invaluable in giving you that information,” Block added. “If you want to speak to someone in industry, then have your representative connect you with the MSL, and you can continue that conversation.”

The UTILISE study is ongoing, with Baker already enrolling patients earlier this year. As the dermatology community continues to embrace precision medicine, Baker’s work highlights the value of incorporating PA-driven research leadership into continued skin cancer management.

Castle Biosciences presents new data demonstrating the impact of DecisionDx-SCC test results on the management of Medicare-eligible patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and one or more risk factors. News release. Castle Biosciences. October 24, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2025. 

https://ir.castlebiosciences.com/news/news-details/2022/Castle-Biosciences-Presents-New-Data-Demonstrating-the-Impact-of-DecisionDx-SCC-Test-Results-on-the-Management-of-Medicare-Eligible-Patients-with-Cutaneous-Squamous-Cell-Carcinoma-and-One-or-More-Risk-Factors/

Hooper PB, Farberg AS, Fitzgerald AL, et al. Real-world evidence shows clinicians appropriately use the prognostic 40-gene expression profile (40-gep) test for high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) patients. 

. 2022;40(10):911-922. doi:10.1080/07357907.2022.2116454

Renata Block, DMSc, MMS, PA-C, interviews Andrew Baker, PA-C, MBA, to discuss his role as a sub-investigator in Castle Biosciences’ UTILISE study for cSCC.

Derm Dispatch: Physician Assistants Advance Clinical Trial Research

 has highlighted Alphyn Biologics’ Zabalafin Hydrogel as a leading multitarget therapeutic for atopic dermatitis (AD).

 Although no single product is effective against all typical manifestations of active AD, including pruritus, inflammation, damaged skin barrier, and 

, Zabalafin Hydrogel shows promise as a novel, multitargeted topical for the condition.

"This new paper highlights current dermatologists' thinking that treating the bacterial component of AD is as important as treating the immunoinflammatory component of AD. It also highlights our Zabalafin Hydrogel as a powerful tool to help them directly treat all the problems of AD—importantly, directly treating the key problem of itch,” Neal Koller, CEO of Alphyn, said in a statement.

Zabalafin Hydrogel is an investigational, first-in-class, botanical drug developed from Alphyn’s proprietary Multitarget Therapeutics platform. The formulation integrates multiple naturally derived bioactive compounds that exert anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and antibacterial effects, including anti–methicillin-resistant 

 (MRSA), to simultaneously disrupt the inflammatory cascade, reduce itch, and control bacterial involvement.

The paper presents a practical algorithm for the treatment of all stages of AD, including disease at the bacterial colonization stage, flaring disease, and AD at the infection stage.

 It was developed by an expert team of 9 dermatologists: Lawrence A. Schachner, MD, FAAD, FAAP; Adelaide A. Hebert, MD, FAAD; Robert Sidbury, MD, FAAD, FAAP; Anneke Andriessen, PhD; Vanja Adzovic, PharmD; Mercedes E. Gonzalez, MD, FAAD; Elizabeth Swanson, MD; Shawn G. Kwatra, MD; E. James Song, MD; Dennis West, PhD; and Peter Lio, MD, FAAD.

The investigators conducted a systematic literature review, focusing on the topical treatment of AD and 

–driven exacerbations. The literature search included 82 pieces of research, including studies and trials, clinical guidelines, consensus papers, and reviews published between January 2010 and January 2024. These results were then used to draft a practice-based algorithm based on evidence, experiences, and opinions.

The algorithm is divided into 2 sections: treating active AD flares with noninfected skin and treating secondarily infected AD flares. Assessment tools such as the Investigator Global Assessment, Eczema Area and Severity Index, and SCORing Atopic Dermatitis scales should be used to evaluate AD severity and consider factors like xerosis, erythema, oozing, and lichenification. After a flare, dyschromia may persist, especially in patients with dark skin phototypes, and early treatment may mitigate inflammation and pigmentary sequelae, according to the panel.

Alphyn Biologics' Zabalafin Hydrogel is emerging as a promising multi-target therapeutic for atopic dermatitis (AD), addressing pruritus, inflammation, and bacterial involvement, including Staphylococcus aureus (SA). Developed from Alphyn’s Multi-Target Therapeutics platform, it integrates bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, anti-pruritic, and antibacterial properties. A recent paper outlines a practical algorithm for AD treatment, emphasizing the importance of addressing both bacterial and immuno-inflammatory components. Zabalafin Hydrogel has shown significant improvements in clinical trials, with ongoing global Phase 2b trials expected to conclude in 2026.

A new paper highlights Alphyn Biologics' Zabalafin Hydrogel as a promising multitarget therapy for atopic dermatitis, addressing inflammation, itch, and bacterial complications.

Neha Kinariwalla

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